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I have received the following notice from the Outdoor swimming Society:-

We wanted to once again notify you of the Swoosh swimming event that will be taking place on the morning of Saturday 14th July 2018. Swimmers will be entering the water from 7.40am at Aveton Gifford and the last swimmers will be exiting the water at 10.15am at Bantham Beach. We are once again working very closely with Aveton Gifford Parish Council and the Bantham Estate on the event. We’ll be having another 6 swimmers fundraising again this year for the Aveton Gifford Community Swimming Pool. BOAT USERS BE PARTICULARLY AWARE OF SWIMMERS, PLEASE!

Separately, The Tribal Clash on Bantham beach will take place on the w/e of 7th/8th July 2018. Disruption of Bigbury traffic is unlikely but there will be lots going in Bantham! The estuary should not be affected.

For various reasons it’s been some time since our last clean up around the Tidal Road but I am currently planning another for Sunday 4th March at 2.00pm to coincide with Low Water. I hope you will be able to come along and join in. Please tell your friends or, better still, bring them along.

We usually have one group starting from Timbers car park at AG to work downstream towards the stakes at Milburn Orchard and another starting from the Milburn Orchard car park to work towards the sea.

Giving credit where it is due, it is worth noting that these days most of the foreshore rubbish on land owned by the Bantham Estate is cleaned up by estate staff on a regular basis but, inevitably, a lot of other rubbish either gets carried further up the estuary on high tides or is dumped upstream in the first place.

I’ll be issuing further details nearer the time but please mark this date in your diary.

The Salcombe Harbour Office reports that there has been an unwelcome rise in the number of vessels caught speeding this year, within Salcombe Harbour and surrounding areas.

Despite the highest allowed speed in the harbour being 8 knots (9 mph), some vessels have been stopped for travelling at speeds of over 30 knots (35 mph). The areas affected by speeding are Salcombe Harbour, including the estuary right up to Kingsbridge, the ‘Bar’ and Harbour entrance but also in South Pool Creek and Widegates.

The Salcombe Harbour Master, Adam Parnell said: “My team has stopped 35 boats for speeding, and some have been travelling so fast that our patrol boat, which can do in excess of 35 knots, has struggled to catch up.

“We know that this number represents the tip of the iceberg. We receive many calls and emails from members of the public who witness speeding, but unfortunately they often don’t tell us until hours or even days later, so it’s often too late to do anything about it.”

To deal with the rise in speeding, the Harbour Authority is increasing additional speeding patrols both at the Bar and in Widegates. “It appears that not only are these vessels speeding, but they’re not even aware of who and what is around them, and that’s a real concern,” said the Assistant Harbour Master, Cameron Sims-Stirling.

“What is particularly disappointing,” said Cllr Julian Brazil, Chairman of the Harbour Authority, “is that many of the vessels the team stop, are actually locals who should know better.”

All vessels caught speeding were given either a verbal or written warning, but in the worst cases, they received a formal interview under caution.

“A lot of people don’t realise that speeding is regulated by Harbour Bye-laws, a breach of which is a prosecutable criminal offence” said the Harbour Master. “Unlike speeding in a car, which is a civil offence, the helm of a speeding vessel can end up with a criminal record and be fined up to £1000.”

“They don’t realise the damage that their wake is causing behind them. We’ve had reports of paddle-boarders being washed off their boards and smaller vessels capsized.” The Authority is particularly concerned at reports from local marine businesses that the poor behaviour of a few is having on the reputation of Salcombe as a safe harbour, with paddle-board companies concerned for the safety of their customers.

Anyone witnessing a speeding vessel is strongly encouraged to report it to the Harbour Office as soon as possible so that the appropriate action can be taken. You can report this by phone on: 01548 843791 or by Twitter @Salcombeharbour.

If you’d like to help keep the beaches around the estuary free of rubbish, you can come along on Saturday 30th September at 10.00am for a 1 – hour beach clean. The event is being organised by Amanda Keetley from ‘Less Plastic’ in association with ‘Surfers against Sewage’ and is being supported by Venus cafe, who will be providing free tea/coffee for volunteers (please BYO reusable mug!).